Charity Commission is looking into the governance of Didier Drogba's charity foundation following newspaper allegations

A charity run by former Chelsea footballer star Didier Drogba is beaing investigated by England’s Charity watchdog over “serious concerns” about the way it is being run.

It follows newspaper allegation his week claiming Didier Drogba Foundation had given just £14,115 of £1.7m raised through high profile fundraisers to good causes.

The foundation has been backed by Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich as well as Princess Beatrice, David Beckham, Bono and Roger Federer.

The article alleges that out of the £1.7m in donations seen in the charity’s accounts, £439,321 was spent putting on fundraising parties compared with £14,115 spent on good causes.

David Holdsworth, the chief operating officer at the Charity Commission, said: “The commission has serious regulatory concerns about a number of compliance issues raised and have contacted the charity to seek an urgent response.

“In particular, the commission has concerns about the administration of the charity and the oversight provided by trustees, all of whom appear to live abroad, as well as allegations that the charity has provided misleading information to donors and the public.

“Further, the charity has raised and accumulated significant sums of money that have not yet been spent and further information is required over the plans to spend those funds. All these issues merit further investigation by the commission.

“Charities must be accountable and transparent to donors and members of the public who expect charities to operate and abide by the highest standards. Trustees have ultimate responsibility for governing a charity and directing how it is managed and run.

“All trustees must take these responsibilities seriously in order to ensure that the public can continue to have faith in the vital role charities play in society.”

Drogba, who now plays for the Canadian Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact, has denied the allegations in a lengthy, strongly worded statement, in which he said he would issue legal proceedings against the newspaper.

In a statement shared on Twitter, Drogba said: “Irresponsible journalism is jeopardising the lives of many thousands of African children. The effect on these kids in need of healthcare and education is unimaginable.”

He added: “Despite their claims, there is no fraud, no corruption, no mismanagement, no lies, no impropriety.”